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"HABITS WE HAVE GROWN UP WITH, SUCH AS HOW WE SEASON FOOD, HAVE PUSHED US INTO BAD HEALTH."

DEBRA LONG

CROSSWORKS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Brown Brings Cooking Show Home

By Michael Barrett

Brown Brings Cooking Show Home

Author: Michael Barrett

Long before he was cooking low-cal cuisine for celebrities, Chef Jerome was raised on Southern staples that were anything but healthy.

During a live cooking show Saturday at the Dunn Center for the Performing Arts, there was no sign of pork barbecue, fatback or ham hock-seasoned collard greens. But as Brown diced up some fresh basil and onion for a nutritious, homemade salad dressing, the Rocky Mount native couldn’t resist a little sarcasm.

“Just like Mom used to make,” he said, before returning to sincerity with a laugh. “My mom never made this a day in her life.”

Brown’s homecoming was partly a promotion for his 13-episode television cooking show, “Cooking with Rome,” debuting this fall on the new CW network. Penned for Brown’s abbreviated first name, the program will boast a rhythmic vibe that presents the chef as the hip-hop equivalent of Emeril Lagasse.

The show will allow Brown, JB, to show off the skills he has gained from cooking for stars such as Shaquille O'Neal, Colin Powell, Nancy Kerrigan and Master P.

But the goal of Saturday’s event was also to promote healthy eating and exercise. It was hosted by Crossworks Inc., a faith-based community health organization that fights malnutrition through education.

Crossworks Executive Director Debra Long, a registered dietician, said she founded the organization in 1999 to address health disparities - particularly among blacks in the Southeast. Heart disease, stroke, diabetes and high blood pressure have risen among the community largely because of unhealthy eating traditions, Long said.

“Habits we have grown up with, such as how we season food, have pushed us into bad health,” Long said. “These are cultural obstacles.”

With the help of grants and partnerships with government agencies, Crossworks has fought the problem. About 175 people have received health screenings and nutrition counseling through the WEIGH to Go program.

Long said she met Brown through her work about five years ago. Saturday’s collaboration resulted from their mutual interests.

As O’Neal’s personal chef, Brown was challenged with preparing good tasting meals that satisfied the NBA star and his family, while not causing O’Neal to put on extra pounds. Brown, a self-taught chef, said he had to steer himself away from what he learned growing up.

“Southern cooking uses a lot of pork and animal fat,” he said. “I don’t knock it, I love it myself. But people have to realize it has to be enjoyed in moderation.”

Cameramen filtered the Dunn Center show like a 50-minute pilot in a TV studio, capturing audience reactions and every angle of the food preparation. Though delayed, Brown flashed a wide smile upon his arrival, working the crowd like a budding Hollywood star while preparing an elaborate meal.

Brown entered and exited the stage between commercial breaks to theme mushe with a heavy basa heat. He wore a custom made chef’s shirt with a script “R” embroidered on the breast to represent his nickname.

“Ya’ll hungry?” he asked the crowd of about 100 people. “How ‘bout some Caribbean roasted chicken?”

Steam spiraled upward from a skillet in which Brown cooked fresh-cut green beans seasoned with garlic, black pepper and wine. Before broiling a hen, he massaged it with cinnamon, brown sugar and ginger.

He wowed the crowd with a lightning-fast chopping knife and mixed in the right amount of humor, even when occasional blenders forced short segments to be refilmed.

Long said the Dunn Center taping may be aired at some point on UNC Public Television. After the show, the audience was able to sample Brown’s cuisine and ask him questions about the food preparation.

When one of the final queries came, Brown answered it like a true pro.

“What’s my favorite dish?” he said, repeating the question. “That’s like asking a mother which one’s her favorite child.”